Gearless planetary transmission



Mar. 20, 1923. 1,449,352

F. W. SEECK GEARLESS PLANETARY TRANSMISS ION Filed sept. 20, 1921 w.

y fir-W f@ f Y Patented Mar. 20, lig-)235 "narran stars FERDNAND W..SEJECK 03F LEBANN, OREGON'.

' GEARLESS lPLANETARY TRANSMESSON.

Application led September 20,1921. Serial-No.. 501,879.-

` To aZZ nikon?, may concern I Be it known that l, F ERDINAND lV. SEECK,a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the city of Lebanon,county of Linn, and State of Oregon, have Vinvented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Gearlessvr Planetary Transmission, of which the`following is a specification.

My invention has for its object the providing ofan improved type ofplanetary transmission in which differential motion will be transmittedthru a train of cams and rollers, and in which the parts are so arrangedas to minimize the loss of power by` friction of the "moving parts uponeach other.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a construction ofcompact form, all parts of which are readily accessible and removable,yet, at the same time, possessing great strength and rigidity, suitablefor the -purposes attained.

l attain my object by the device illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings:

Fig. l is a section taken on a plane correspending to he broken line 1-1of Fig. 2; and V l Fig. 2 is ,asection of the broken line 2-2 of Fig.1Q.

My device comprises three annular members, A, B, C, concentric about acommon center. One of said. members is stationary,

and the other two are revolved about said lcenter.

The outer and inner members .A and C are. spaced apart, as shown 1n Fig.2, and are provlded with opposed cam surfaces, and the member B islocated between said cam surfaces and comprises an annular body in whichare journalled a series of rollers; the roller carrying means beingadapted to permit the rollers radial movement with respect to saidcommon center. The number of cam surfaces of one of said spacing membersA and C must be greater than that of the other, and the number ofrollers journalled inthe intermediate member B must be equal to, ormultiples of, the cam surfaces bers A and C. l

Describing nowthe details of my device as shown in the drawings:

The outer cam member A consists of a divided annular shell, ,s the twohalves of which comprise'central hubs a and a', web sides b and andcomplementary rim sec-v tions 0 and c. The halves of this shell areprovided on each of the memclamped together by bolts d, and shims epermit a. limited adjustment of these parts to or from each other. Theinterior of the rim sections c, 'c' of the shell is formed with a seriesof concave cam-surfaces f, g, 71, and

z', these surfaces preferably being made with a conical taper toward theweb sides Z) and b.

The intermediate roller element B is a cage consisting of web sides 7cand Z, of

which the web side 7c is provided with an outer hub j, journalled in thehub a of the half b of the outer cam member A, and provided further withan inner hub j alined with the hub j. The web sides 7c and Z areparallel and spaced apart, and are tied together at intervals by thecross arms m as shown in Fig. .2. For convenience in assembling, thesecross arms are not solid, but are made with a. parting line, and areclamped together by the machine screws n. The web side Z is journalledon the hub az ofthe half b of the outer shellA, and thus maintains theparts in true axial alinement.l

lThe web sides In and Z are made with openings 0 which are radial tosaid common center, and in which cross-heads t slide. Rollers p arejournaled in said cross-heads. Each of the rollers is made with journalends g, and an integral peripheral flange r at one end A roller-'bearingsleeve s. is mounted on each and companion liange r is threadedon theoppositel end of the rollers and holds the roller bearing-sleevesagainst longitudinaldisplacement. The rims of the flanges r and rf arebeveled to conform with the said taper of the cam surfaces f, g, z,

and z', on which said flanges bear.

The inner cam-member C comprises a body Ahaving two trunnions x and y,and made with two convex cam surfaces o and w upon which theroller-bearing sleeve s bears.

The trunnion is io rnalled in the inner hub j of the intermediate rollermember B,

and the trunnion y is journalled in the hub a. of the half or side b ofthe outer mem- .l

bearing sleeves s, and the profiles of the cam surfaces g, t, i, 'v andw,`are such as to insure a `tight rolling contact between all partsatall times; the cross head bearings t of the rollers permitting thelatter to accommodate themselves to the variousfposivtions of theparts'of my mechanism, during its cycle of operation.

.The general operation of my device is as follows: i'

Assuming that the outer shell A is held stationary, and theintermediate, rolrler element B is driven in a clockwise direction withreference to Fig. 2: the frietional con tact of the' flanges r and r ofthe rollers p with the outer cam surfaces f, g, h and 1l of the outerelement A will cause the rollersA Since the to be drivencounter-clockwise. intermediate roller element B revolves, thecam-surfaces f, g, h and z' of element A Will successively exert apressure on the flanges r and r of the rollers p, thereby forcing thelatter toward the center of rotation, such movement being accommodatedby the sliding cross-head bearings t. As each roller is forced towardthe center of rotation, the roller bearing sleeves s, bearingon theinner cam surfaces v and w of the inner element C will exert an inclinedplane action, thereby Causing the member Cto be driven in aV clockwisedirection. .This motion of the inner cam member C will be uniform andcontinuous, and its speed'will be three times that of the intermediatemember B, assuming the parts to be arranged as shown in the drawings.

By varying the number of camsurfaces on the outer and inner members Aand C, and varying the number of interposed rollers of the intermediatemember B, any required reduction or increase of speed may be attained.Furidler, by holding At-he intermedia-te member B stationary, anddriving the other members not so held, the direction of transmittedmotion may be reversed.

In the event that the roller members Wear, the outer shell may be drawnup after first removing one of the shims e, and all loose play therebyeliminated. -The conical taper of thecam surfaces of the outer member Aand of the flanges of the rollers are provided to permit said adjustmentto take up wear; and the roller bearing sleeves and the making of oneof. said flanges removable serves the same end.

The details of construction are variable to suit the manufacturer of mydevice.

I claim:

L A gearless planetary transmissionI comprising, Vthree annular membersarranged concentric: aboutY a common center, one' of saidl members beingstationary and the other two members being revolvableabout said center,two of saidv members being spaced apartv andi provi'dedwith opposed camsurof said spaced members being greater thanl that of the other.

2. The combinationndescribed in claim l distinguished in that the numberof rollers is equal to the sum of the cam surfaces provided on both ofsaid spaced members.

3. The combination described in' claim 1 distinguished in that thenumber of rollers is a multiple of the sum of the cam surfaces providedon both of said sp-acedmembers.

4. A gearless planetary transmission comprising-three members arrangedconcentric about a common center, fone of said members consisting of adivided shell, the -halves of which are provided with complementary rimsections, the inner surfaces of which are provided with cam'slirfaces,Vthe inner of said three concentric 'members also being provided withcam surfaces spaced from said first mentioned'cam surfaces, the numberof the cam surfaes of one of said spaced members being greater than thatof the other, the intermediate 'of said three members comprising anannular body carrying rollers, the roller carrying means being adaptedto permit the rollers radial movement with respect to said center, saidrollers having flanges at their ends, said flanges bearing on the' camsurfaces of said outer member or shell, roller-bearing sleeves mountedon the rollers between said flanges and bearing on the cam surfaces ofsaid innerpmember, the number of rollers being a multiple of the sum ofsaid cam surfaces provided on said outer and inner members.

5. A gearless planetary transmission comprising three members arrangedconcentric 'about a common center, one o f said members consisting of adivided shell, the halves of which are provided with complementary rim'.

other, the intermediate of said three members comprising an annularbody, crossheads havlng radial movement with respect to said head,rollers journalled in said crossheads, said rollers having flanges attheir ends, said flanges bearing on the cam surfaces of said outermember'or shell, rollerbearing sleeves mpunted on the rollers bee tweensaid flanges and bearing on the cam surfaces of said inner member, thenumber of rollers being a multiple 4of the sum of 130' said cam surfacesprovided on said outer and shell towards and from each other innermembers. mitted.

6. The combination" set forth in claim 4 7. The combination vset forthin claim 4f distinguished in that the cam surfaces of distinguished inthat one of the flanges of 5 said outer member or shell have an outwardsaid rollers is removable, for the purpose conical taper and saidflanges of the rollers stated. having a corresponding taper, 'whereby a'limited adjustment of two halves of the FERDINAND W. SEECK.

is per- 10

